1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Poa pratensis that has been designated xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 Kentucky bluegrass.
2. Description of Related Art
Kentucky Bluegrasses have been disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,150, issued May 2, 1972; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,156, issued May 9, 1972; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,186, issued May 23, 1972; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,336, issued Nov. 28, 1978; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,280, issued Sep. 6, 1988; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,537 and 6,538, issued on Jan. 17, 1989; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,585, issued Feb. 7, 1989; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,831, issued Mar. 17, 1992; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,490, issued Dec. 7, 1993; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,036, issued Jan. 3, 1995; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,290, issued Jul. 18, 1995; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,611, issued Jul. 23, 1996; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,848, issued Apr. 1, 1997; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,977, issued Jul. 22, 1997; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,080, issued Oct. 21, 1997; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,081, issued Oct. 21, 1997; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,384, issued May 5, 1998; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,925, issued May 25, 1999; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,520, issued Sep. 26, 2000; U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,536, issued Oct. 3, 2000; and pending U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/120,718, filed Jul. 22, 1998, as well as U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/578,128, filed May 24, 2000.
xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 plant material originated from a single plant that was a progeny resulting from crossing xe2x80x98Ba79-127xe2x80x99 Kentucky bluegrass, as the seed parent, with xe2x80x98Ba79-129xe2x80x99 Kentucky bluegrass, as the pollen parent.
xe2x80x98Ba79-127xe2x80x99 Kentucky bluegrass is an unreleased, unpatented Kentucky bluegrass plant grown and maintained in the plant nursery at the Scotts Company in Marysville, Ohio and was derived from a plant selected from xe2x80x98Newportxe2x80x99 Kentucky bluegrass. xe2x80x98Ba79-129xe2x80x99 Kentucky bluegrass is an unreleased, unpatented Kentucky blue grass plant grown and maintained in the plant nursery at the Scotts Company in Marysville, Ohio and was derived from a plant selected from xe2x80x98Vantagexe2x80x99 Kentucky bluegrass.
As a result of this breeding, a distinct variety was produced and asexually propagated by rhizomes, tillers and disseminules. The highly apomictic seed of xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 Kentucky bluegrass was produced first at Marysville, Ohio, and later at Gervais, Oreg. This seed was used to plant turf performance evaluation trials and later, seed production fields.
The seed of xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 has been found to be stable. Asexual production of xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 initially was performed at Marysville, Ohio by propagules (tillers and rhizomes) and by disseminules (modified caryopses produced by apomixis), and has consistently produced progeny plants indistinguishable from the first generation asexual reproductions of the instant plant. The apomixis level of xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 is approximately 94.0% (plus or minus 3.7%). The apoximis level was determined by examining seedling characteristics of approximately 75 to 150 seedlings from seven different crop years in a growth chamber and any seedling with one or more characteristics different from xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 seedlings was classified as not being of apomictic origin.
xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 has a number of highly desirable characteristics, including a medium to high level of resistance to Drechslera poae that causes melting out and leaf spot; a medium to high level of resistance to Magnaporthe poae that causes summer patch; a medium to high level of resistance to Ustilago striiformis that causes stripe smut, a medium level of resistance to Erysiphe graminis that causes powdery mildew, a medium to high level of resistance to Puccinia graminis that causes stem rust, and a medium to high level of resistance to Puccinia coronata that causes crown rust. xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 has an attractive leafy turf type, and a medium green color which can be maintained throughout the entire growing season. xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 provides good sod strength and good tolerance to wear. xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 demonstrates good fall color and good winter color under mild winter conditions.
xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 is an overall good turfgrass performer as evidenced by good scores for quality and color throughout the cool season in turfgrass growing regions of the United States. xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 has a medium to high seed yield potential in the bluegrass seed production region of the northwestern United States.
In comparison with other Kentucky bluegrass varieties, xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 has a larger seed (longer and wider) with a lower number of seeds per pound. The vegetative leaves of unmowed mature plants of xe2x80x98Ba81-227xe2x80x99 Kentucky bluegrass are thicker with longer ligules and with fewer hairs on the upper margin of the ligule, collar margin and dorsal side of the leaf sheath than other Kentucky bluegrasses. The culm is longer with a longer top internode than other Kentucky bluegrass varieties.